NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - Sharing Shelf Founder and volunteer Deborah Blatt, in conjunction with Family Services of Westchester, is helping with a newly created Backpacks to School drive, which allows underprivileged children the opportunity to have school supplies for the school year.
Thats what its about, said Blatt.
Success has already been made as Blatt had received a couple of phone calls from caseworkers working with children in need of supplies as of Tuesday.
This is good progress considering there are more programs Blatt and other volunteers already know need supplies.
Staples and Shop Rite have offered their goods at a discounted price, but money is still needed. Each childs backpack is $25 and the group plans to fill 200 new backpacks split between 100 elementary school and 100 middle school students. Shop Rite donated 100 wide-rule single subject notebooks and contributed 300 more at a profound discount.
We are happy to be working with teachers and suppliers to find cost-effective ways to provide new backpacks for needy children throughout the county, said Blatt.
The Sharing Shelf is working with Cidalia Vincitore, a Yonkers resident and fifth-grade teacher at William B. Ward Elementary School in New Rochelle, as well as other teachers, retailers and wholesalers to purchase the supplies for the backpacks.
In addition to Staples and ShopRite, Blatt and the Sharing Shelf also has the assistance of Astoria Federal Savings.
Elementary school students will have crayons, colored pencils, markers, glue sticks and composition books. Backpacks for middle schoolers will include a ruler, compass, protractor, notebooks, loose leaf paper and binders.
Blatt began the Sharing Shelf three years ago as a place for youngsters and teenagers.
While the drive runs until September, Blatt hopes to have more individuals and community businesses involved next year and the ones to come.
Id like to see this bigger, she said.
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